October 19 ------ As Rafael Nadal prepares to ride off into the sunset after a stellar career, his fellow professionals from eras old and new agree on one thing the Spaniard remains an inspirational role model whose legacy has shaped tennis over the last 23 years. With 22 Grand Slam titles in the bag, including a record 14 at Roland Garros where he was virtually unbeatable, 38-year-old Nadal said he is at peace with his decision to hang up his racket after the Davis Cup next month.
Nadal has won the Davis Cup four times and he will bow out on home turf where he will team up with his protege Carlos Alcaraz, the proverbial prince and reigning French Open champion ready to inherit the crown from the “King of Clay.” As a child, Alcaraz had watched Nadal and was grateful for the “immense gift” of playing alongside him at the Paris Olympics earlier this year which was held at Roland Garros.
“I couldn’t believe it when I watched it… It was tough to accept it. I was in shock a little bit,” Alcaraz told reporters at the Shanghai Masters. “It is really difficult news for everybody and even tougher for me. He has been my idol since I started playing tennis. I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become a professional tennis player. Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he’s going to play (and) enjoy the time with him as much as I can. But it is a shame for tennis and for me.”
His “Big Three” rival Novak Djokovic played him 60 times, winning 31, and the Serbian said Nadal’s greatest achievement was inspiring millions of children to pick up the sport. “Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever. Only you know what you had to endure to become icon of tennis and sport in general,” added Djokovic, a 24-time major winner. “Thank you for pushing me to the very limit so many times in our rivalry that has impacted me the most as a player.”
Source: rappler.com
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